Whoa!? What's Up with PVybe?

Whoa!? What's Up with PVybe?

Some of you may have noticed that we have not been putting out a ton of content and have not been too active on the social media front. While we have not been putting out public content, we’ve been very busy generating content for our online distance learning classes.

We’ve put out almost 100 articles and 50 training videos for our Disc Dog Foundation and Bitework for Behavior classes since November, so we’ve been active, just not publicly. We’ve also put together a Disc Dogger’s Toolkit with the help of Steve Donohue that will be going on sale in the next few days.

So, we’ve been pretty busy here, but that’s just a small part of the story.

Changes

In January, our landlord sent us an email notifying us that she would be putting the PVybe Farm back on the real estate market. Talk about freaking out! What do you do when you have to move on a shoestring budget with a dozen dogs? You freak out that’s what you do! But we believe that when you stumble, the first thing that you need to do is lean forward.

We put out some feelers to some of our friends and decided on NY State because Nadja and Kara of Hooked on Dogs are awesome (so Awesome!). We discussed running a training school for them, but that didn’t quite work out. So we had a place to stay, but didn’t quite know what to do.

Enter Animal Farm Foundation

Last year, Roo Yori brought me in to spend a few days working with the Animal Farm Foundation staff. It went really well and I submitted a proposal to Animal Farm Foundation for a Pit Bull Assistance Dog program. The organization was interested, but didn’t feel comfortable committing to the proposal because we were located in Michigan and they were in New York.

Well, when AFF found out we were moving to NY, they contacted us and offered Apryl a salaried position to create, develop and head up a Pit Bull Assistance Dog program. Apryl accepted and here we are.

It’s a bittersweet moment for us. On the one hand we feel like we just got the Farm together and the Disc Dog B&B was really starting to take off. We are going to be missing that part of our business for sure, but life happens.

On the other we’ve got an awesome opportunity to go and make a difference for people and dogs in a new area with new people who may not have been exposed to the Pawsitive Vybe.

T Minus 3 weeks and Counting

We have been going through our stuff and packing things up and are planning on making our big move in just about 3 weeks. That’s bearing down on us real fast.

It is at once super exciting and super scary. We have a great support system here in Michigan, great friends, Apryl’s mom is here and our awesome clients and Apryl has lived here in Michigan her entire life.

Some of you may have noticed Apryl’s cryptic ‘fetal position’ facebook post, it’s been a very stressful month or so. Having this go down in the middle of winter, a lean time for dog trainers, losing our home and training facility and having to rely on good friends for a place to stay puts a sharp edge on this awesome opportunity. ChangeIf the dog is standing underneath you, facing in the same direction, you are in Change position. This position is uncomfortable for many dogs due to the intense positional pressure that often accompanies work underneath the handler. It is helpful to add lots of value to this position for nervous or active dogs with rapid fire, continuous cookies, so your...More is scary. Change with little resources and little control is even more scary.

But we’re bucking up and doubling down on the things that we do well and are moving forward on this fresh new path.

Seeking Support

We are seeking support from our friends, family clients and crazy dog people. We have some great online classes, the Discdogger’s Toolkit, incredible Camps and seminars and awesome Apryl Art that we will be pushing very hard to help us stay above water during this expensive and time consuming move and as we try to get settled in our new digs. We need your business and we will be asking for it.

OverAn Over is any leaping catch that happens over top of the handler’s body. Overs are usually named by the part of the body over which the dog flies, i.e - Leg Over, or the position you are in while doing the Over - Seated Over, Spinning Over, etc. Overs should be taught before Vaults....More the next couple of months we will be breaking out some new distance learning classes and will be scheduling Camps and Seminars across the country for the Summer and Fall. If you have ever been interested in working with us, now is the time.

Also, if you have any contacts in the NY Hudson Valley region who might be able to help us find a place that will take a dozen dogs and a super awesome tail-less cat, please hook us up with them.

This is an exciting time for us and the PVybe pack.

We’ll be keeping you all posted about what’s going down and what we’ve got going.

Wow! I’m so sorry to hear about the farm. I can imagine the scary emotions you guys must of been going through at first. But I truly believe everything happens for a reason and there is something bigger and better waiting for you around the corner. You two are such great people and great trainers and I see this as being something big and exciting for the two of you.
I wish you all the luck, love and hope on your incredible journey. I do hope to hook up with you guys again soon.

I dont want you moving that far away(I know I havent seen you in awhile)…but the opportunity is too good and well your landlord said move…..I think you will do good wherever you go. but you will be missed.

Just like when you train the handlers in your classes… getting outside our personal comfort zone can lead us to great things. Was hoping to do the summer camp this year or at least a weekend b&b with you two…. but the distance learning classes have been a good alternative. Of course you both realize that the winters are not any better in New York!!!

Whoa, I had no idea! I’m on Facebook daily yet I missed your updates (FB is messing around with my feed, grr), only discovered the news when I came here looking for a useful article I wanted to share with our instructors.

Sounds like a stressful time, which sucks, but you have a great positive attitude about it. And you’ll be a little closer to Slovenia now! 🙂 Best of luck to you, Apryl and the pack! Hope the move goes smoothly.